Vincent Sitzmann is revolutionizing how AI “sees” and interacts with objects

Professorships, many of which are supported by planned gifts, give MIT researchers like Vincent Sitzmann, the J. Burgess Jamieson Career Development Professor of electrical engineering and computer science, the freedom to pursue novel research in AI. 

Arvola Chan ’74, SM ’76, EE ’78, PhD ’80

Arvola Chan used the occasion of his 50th Reunion to encourage others in his class to follow his lead by considering a planned gift to MIT. “I want to set an example for my friends to plan their legacy and inspire people to make gifts while they’re still living.”

Julie Newman, PhD, Director of Sustainability

Julie Newman talks about the pivotal role of the MIT Office of Sustainability in transforming MIT into a replicable model for responding to the unprecedented challenges of a changing planet.

Recapping the spring 2024 webinar

A good estate plan can support your goals for your family, community, and philanthropy—at any age. Speakers at the Office of Gift Planning’s spring 2024 webinar shared insights about tax rules and regulations and strategies to help maximize your legacy.

Exploring the benefits of this popular gift

Charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUTs) are a popular option with MIT donors for several reasons. In addition to generating income, a CRUT can be a tax-savvy way to support the MIT initiatives you care about most.

Yumi Yasutake, Assistant Dean of Development at the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing

Yumi Yasutake raises funds and awareness to support “the next generation of leadership in computing fields as they pursue innovative solutions to many of society’s most pressing problems.”

How MIT Researchers are Steering Space Policy

Professorships and fellowships, many of which are supported by planned gifts, give MIT researchers like Professor Richard Linares and graduate students in the MIT Astrodynamics, Space Robotics, and Controls Lab (ARCLab) the freedom to follow timely opportunities in space exploration.

KDMS members reflect on the 2023 event

The Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society (KDMS) appreciation brunch, held annually each fall, is a way for the MIT Office of Gift Planning to thank planned giving donors who ensure that the Institute can continue its world-changing work. 

Julia Topalian, Director of Gift Administration and Recording Secretary

What happens once a donor decides to make a planned gift to MIT? Julia Topalian walks us through the process. “I am truly inspired and honored to help make a donor’s gift of a lifetime a part of MIT’s future,” she says. 

Donors fueling current and future MIT research

Postdoctoral researcher Matheus Victor works in the lab of Picower Institute Director Li-Huei Tsai, which focuses on understanding and intervening in Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. Donors like David Emmes SM ’76 and Don ’67, SM ’69 and Glenda Mattes support this essential work with their outright and planned gifts. 

Recapping the spring 2023 webinar

The Office of Gift Planning's May 2023 webinar, “Retirement with Purpose: The Secure Act 2.0,” addressed the history and future implications of the Secure Act 2.0, which took effect in January 2023. The discussion went beyond the Secure Act 2.0 to explore some of the many benefits of IRA giving.

Amy Goldman, Senior Director of the MIT Office of Gift Planning

Philanthropy has witnessed a surge in donor-advised funds in recent years. In this article, Amy Goldman shares an overview of the benefits of giving to a qualified nonprofit institution like MIT through a donor-advised fund, and why the financial commitment to giving in this way is not as high as one may think.

Melissa Nobles, MIT Chancellor and the Class of 1922 Professor of Political Science

Melissa Nobles has been a member of the MIT faculty since 1995. As chancellor, she oversees more than 60 interconnected offices that support undergraduate and graduate students. She talked with OGP about what it means to support “the whole student” at MIT and the important role that planned giving plays in the lives of MIT students.

An IRA gift makes new research paths possible

Professor William Oliver is working toward building reliable, compact quantum computers. A Faculty Research Innovation Fund grant, supported by Professor Emeritus Richard Thornton SM ’54, ScD ’57 using funds from his IRA, has made it possible for Oliver to pursue a new research direction.

James Ellis II SM ’80 and Margaret Brady

Jim Ellis and his family see a clear connection between supporting education and solving the world’s most pressing problems. One way they show their support is through a bequest to MIT that will contribute to the Sloan Sustainability Initiative and graduate fellowships through the Sloan Veterans Fund.

Bequests support the mission of the MIT-Haiti Initiative

The MIT-Haiti Initiative promotes technology-enhanced active learning and the use of students’ native language, Kreyòl, in the classroom. Supporters of the initiative include Jeffrey Toney, MIT visiting professor in linguistics and philosophy, whose support includes a bequest intention. A Kreyòl translation is included on this page.

W. Eric L. Grimson PhD ’80, Chancellor for Academic Advancement and Interim Vice President for Open Learning

Eric Grimson has taught thousands of students since becoming an MIT faculty member in 1984 and now oversees MIT Open Learning, one of MIT’s signature educational initiatives. He talked with the Office of Gift Planning about what differentiates remote learning at MIT and how philanthropy plays a role.

Omobayonle Olatunji ’10

Omobayonle Olatunji recently discovered that an MIT scholarship he received was funded by a bequest left by the Towle family. In this letter, he shares his story and expresses thanks to all donors who fund scholarships using planned gifts.

Gary W. Pace PhD ’75 and Jinny Hamilton Pace

Gary and Jinny Pace are paving the way for new generations of biological engineers through a fellowship for graduate students, which will be funded through a charitable remainder unitrust.

Wean Khing Wong ’84

As the founder of the MIT Chinese Alumni Group, Wean Khing Wong prioritizes wide-ranging educational opportunities for alumni and students of all ethnicities. She sees her bequest to MIT as a similar commitment to education and making a better world.

Maria Zuber, Vice President for Research, E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics

Maria Zuber spoke with Corridor about MIT Grand Climate Challenges, which launched in 2020, and shares how the research and action around climate change taking place at MIT gives her hope for the future.

A bequest from the estate of Stephen Erdely

In 2021, MIT was honored to receive a bequest from the estate of Stephen Erdely (1921–2017), a distinguished musician, scholar, and member of the MIT music faculty. The gift includes a significant contribution to the new MIT Music Building, Erdely’s scholarly papers, a violin, and four rare violin bows.

Alan ’72 and Joan Henricks

Alan and Joan Henricks have supported a range of Institute initiatives, but their primary focus is the MIT Edgerton Center, founded in 1992 to honor the late Harold “Doc” Edgerton SM 1927, ScD 1931, inventor, entrepreneur, and MIT professor.

Yupo ’67, SM ’69, PhD ’72 and Susan Chan

During Yupo Chan’s lifetime, he established two gift annuities to support undergraduate scholarships. “Yupo valued the education that he got at MIT,” says his spouse, Susan Chan, “and wanted to make that available to other people, too.”

Amy Goldman, senior director of gift planning at MIT

Amy Goldman, senior director of gift planning at MIT, talks to Corridor about the role of planned giving in the recent MIT Campaign for a Better World, how certain gift types have grown in popularity, and why it’s beneficial to start early.

Raj Tahil ’81 and Mary Jo Wrenn

When making a planned gift, Raj Tahil chose a donor-advised fund (DAF), an increasingly popular way to simplify charitable giving. In establishing an MIT DAF, he benefits from MITIMCo management strategies that enable him to keep supporting MIT students.

Marianthe Mewkill, Chief Financial Officer, MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo)

MITIMCo’s chief financial officer, Marianthe Mewkill, talks with Corridor about their investment approach, the endowment’s performance throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and how planned giving makes an impact on MIT’s long-term success.

Art ’73 and Sandra Reidel, MD

The Reidels’ charitable remainder trust (CRUT) supports MIT student leadership programs. “Our expectations were certainly positive in 2008 when we established the CRUT,” Art says, “but in the years since, the experience has exceeded our expectations.”

A. L. Spitzer

A Q&A with A. L. Spitzer, counsel in the MIT Office of the General Counsel, about how the new federal tax laws might affect donors and their future planned gifts to MIT.

Bruce Heflinger ’69, SM ’71, PhD ’80 and Mary DeMasters

After making smaller annual gifts to MIT for decades, Bruce Heflinger established a charitable remainder unitrust that provides lifetime income for household expenses. He has also allocated his IRA distributions to support MIT research around a relatively newfound interest: marine biogeochemistry.

Heather ’89 and Maurice Cogdell

Heather Cogdell, an avid MIT volunteer, characterizes planned giving as “a stress-free way to give back.” The Cogdells decided that designating MIT as their IRA beneficiary was the right choice—especially while their dependents are still pursuing their education.

Eberhard SM ’75, PhD ’78 and Shahla PhD ’78 Wunderlich

Inspired by a service-based trip to Ecuador with MIT students, faculty, and staff, the Wunderlichs decided to support MIT through deferred gift annuities. Their planned giving supports service-based, experiential learning at MIT while providing continuing retirement income to them for the rest of their lives.

Seth Alexander

We talk with Seth Alexander, president of the MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo), about what makes MIT's endowment unique, and how MITIMCo works to ensure that the assets in the MIT endowment are working as hard as possible for the benefit of the Institute and its stakeholders.

Jeffrey Steinfeld ’62, Professor Emeritus

Jeffrey Steinfeld taught chemistry at MIT for 42 years and gives back to MIT in many ways. His goal is to help “the next generation who will use their skills, training, and networks to seek a better world”—particularly by addressing global environmental issues.

Benita Cooper SM ’85

To honor her late husband’s memory, Benita Cooper founded the Robert S. (1963) and Benita A. (1985) Cooper Scholarship Fund. Her most significant gift is one of real estate: the home that she and her husband renovated and shared.

A gift of real estate could be "a win-win" for your family

Learn the all-important first steps in the process of making a real estate gift. Brothers Jen-King Jao ’71, SM ’71, PhD ’75 and Zen-Kay Jao SM ’71 also share why this type of gift was a meaningful way for their family to give back to MIT.

The MIT Office of Gift Planning hosted two virtual events in 2020—the Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society Virtual Appreciation Event and the Corridor Webinar: 2020 Postelection Estate Planning and Philanthropy.

Emerson Yearwood ’80

“I think it’s important that, as MIT stares down the problems that affect the entire world, communities of color share in that gift,” says Emerson Yearwood, who in 2020 created a charitable gift annuity funded with stock. His gift will bolster the Black Alumni of MIT Community Advancement Program and Fund.

Martin A. Schmidt SM ’83, PhD ’88, MIT Provost, Ray and Maria Stata Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Martin Schmidt speaks with the MIT Office of Gift Planning about MIT’s defining traits and how philanthropy helps the Institute fulfill its mission and rise to current challenges. 

Kimberly Ritrievi ScD ’85, SM ’85

Chemical engineer Kimberly Ritrievi has given back to MIT in many ways, including as a member of the MIT Corporation Development Committee and a graduate fellowship donor. In 2020, she created a charitable remainder trust that will ultimately fund fellows through the Adel F. Sarofim (1962) Fund. “To support higher education is to attack problems at their root,” she says.

James ’72 and Muguette Alder

James ’72 and Muguette Alder What type of planned gift can support MIT students? Any type—and options are flexible. A few years after Jim and Muguette Alder made their first planned gift, an income-generating charitable unitrust, they worked with the MIT Office of Gift Planning to pivot their planned giving strategy to an MIT Donor-Advised Fund.

Amy Goldman, Senior Director

Amy Goldman, senior director of the MIT Office of Gift Planning, provides an update about our gift planning community.

Heather Cogdell ’89 and Bob Johnson ’63

Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society (KDMS) co-chairs, Bob Johnson ’63 and Heather Cogdell ’89 (pictured), send a message of appreciation for the community's support.

Thomas Davis ’84, SM ’85 and Elizabeth Beliveau Davis ’84, March ’88

Thomas Davis ’84, SM ’85 and Elizabeth Beliveau Davis ’84, MArch ’88 Tom and Betsy Davis both benefited from financial support during their time at the Institute. Now, they are paying it forward to current MIT students by funding scholarships, and they have designated a bequest to ensure that the scholarships continue to support talented undergraduates far into the future.

Life-income gifts are a cornerstone of planned giving at MIT

Joe Levitch ’69 supports MIT in a variety of ways, and here he tells us why he chose to create a gift annuity and explains the multiple benefits that come along with it. Learn if a charitable gift annuity is right for you.

Stuart Schmill ’86, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services

Stuart Schmill ’86 What makes MIT’s admissions policies unique among its peers, and how can a planned gift make a difference for MIT students right now? Find out in our Q&A with Stuart Schmill, dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services.

Mark ’69 and Rowena Braunstein

Mark Braunstein, a long-time member of the MIT Educational Council, and his spouse, Rowena, believe in the power of education and how it can change the world. This conviction helped motivate them to support undergraduate education at MIT.

Brad ’72 and Susan Billetdeaux

Brad Billetdeaux has had many careers in his lifetime, all on a path that started at MIT. “MIT was so instrumental in forming my life,” Brad explains. “It was a stepping stone for my careers.” Brad and his wife, Susan, have stayed connected to MIT by giving back to the Institute’s Annual Fund for 46 years.

Ani Chitaley ScD ’68 and Suzana Naik

Ani Chitaley likes to stay connected to MIT by attending faculty and student events, and he and his spouse, Suzana, choose to support the Institute through a gift annuity and outright gifts. “If you look at the Institute’s contributions to society, human life, and global economics, they are priceless.”

Bonny Kellermann ’72

Bonny Kellerman, an alumna and employee, uses planned gifts to help make her desire to support students a reality. “Because of my previous work in the admissions office, I’m painfully aware of how many students want to come to MIT but can’t afford to without scholarship support.”

Israel Ruiz SM ’01

Bob Johnson ’63 and Lisa Reich

For Bob, making sure that his blended family is financially secure for years to come is important. “In addition to everything else MIT has given to me in my lifetime, now MIT has given me peace of mind.”

Karen Adams

Thanks to a qualified IRA distribution from Karen Adams—in addition to donations from friends and family—the Jerry L. Adams ’62 Memorial Scholarship Fund will support a deserving student this year.

Doug ’78 and Sharon ’78 King

While there are many ways to honor a loved one through planned giving at MIT, Doug and Sharon decided that establishing a charitable remainder unitrust in memory of Sharon's first MIT friend and roommate was the best choice for them.